The Doctors: Male Breast Cancer
The Doctors sat down with Brett, a 26-year-old former football player and wrestler, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Yes, he’s a man. Brett said at first, he was embarrassed about it because everyone knows that breast cancer is something women get. Brett ended up announcing his condition to his friends and family and he said he got enormous support from everybody. He ended up getting a mastectomy and now he’s cured of breast cancer. He said he’s speaking out now because he wants men to know they’re at risk. “That’s why I’m out there. I’m spreading the word. Everything I’ve done to speak out about it is just to let people know cancer is not prejudiced. It chooses whoever it wants,” Brett said.
The Doctors: Living With Breast Cancer
The Doctors talked to a man who is a breast cancer survivor on the show today. Did you know this condition also affects men?
Brett said that breast cancer is rare in men, but it can happen. Because most people don’t think men can get it, it’s more deadly than normal, because most men don’t check it out. Brett said he had a lump under his right nipple for seven years. He was seventeen when he first found it and a doctor told him it was a calcium build-up because of puberty. But as time went on, he knew something was wrong. He said when he got the phone call that he had breast cancer he thought it was a prank.
The Doctors: Plastic Surgery After Mastectomy
Brett talked to a plastic surgeon to find out his options following the mastectomy. The plastic surgeon said he’d never done plastic surgery to repair a mastectomy on a male. He said the surgeon told him he could get a tattoo of a nipple or grow a new one from a skin sample. Brett said he ultimately decided he would keep the scar. “This is gonna be my battle scar. This is my story now. This is how I can have an impact on others,” Brett said.
Dr. Travis reminded everyone to get any abnormal or unusual symptoms checked out immediately, whether you’re male or female.
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